MLB Draft 2023: Dodgers pick 1B Joe Vetrano in the fifth round
Joe Vetrano out of Boston College is the Dodgers’ fifth-round pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, with the first baseman the 163rd overall selection. This is the second power-hitting corner infielder drafted by the Dodgers, along with second-rounder Jake Gelof from Virginia.
Vetrano hit .315/.407/.671 as a junior this season with 22 home runs and 64 RBI in 56 games.
The 6’4, 230-pound left-hander also pitched a bit as a freshman, putting up a 4.14 ERA in 37 innings in 2021, when he was teammates with Emmet Sheehan, drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round that year. Sheehan made his major league debut this season for the Dodgers on June 15.
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Kiley McDaniel at ESPN called Vetrano a “hulking lefty stick with plus-plus raw who needs to lift it more, but could be a starter,” and ranked the first baseman the No. 127 prospect in the draft.
MLB Pipeline rated Vetrano the No. 186 prospect in the draft, with this scouting report:
The 6-foot-3 left-handed hitter has the kind of power potential that could fit nicely at his infield corner position. He’s power-over-hit, and an improved approach in 2023 led to a lower strikeout rate and higher walk rate, which enabled him to tap into that raw pop even more consistently.
The 163rd pick comes with a recommended slot value of $364,400.
Source: True Blue LA
